Tire chain



Patented June 17, 1930 1764 785 LUNITED sravrasl PATENr ori-ICE .AUGUST FRYKMAN, OF BCTTINEAU, NORTH DAKOTA.

TIRE CHAIN v.Application led April 4, 1928. Serial No. 267,194.

This invention relates to an anti-skidding' 10, the felloe 11, the rim parts 12, the rim device or traction device for a vehicle such clamping lugs 13, and the tire 14 which is as an automobile, and particularly to a cross held in the rim 12. Rim clamping bolts 15 chain adapted to pass around a. vehicle or are provided, which are of special form and automobile tire such' as the ordinary Apneumay replace the standard rim clamping bolts 55 matic tire now used on automobiles. which are furnished with the wheel. The

It is an object of this invention to provide bolt 15 comprises a head portion 15a whicha simple and efficient form of cross chain is of narrow or flattened form, having end which can be easily and quickly applied to portions which project beyond the cylinor removed from the tire and wheel. drical portion 15b immediately, in the rear of 60 It is a further object of the invention to the head portion Adjacent the portion provide a cross chain adapted to be attached 15b the bolt has the enlarged cylindrical porto a bolt which may replace the standard rim tion 15 connected to portion 15b by the bolts, said bolt and chain having co-operatfrusto-conical portion 15d. The portions 15d 15 ing parts designed to be readily connected in and 15 are flattened at one side or provided 65 locked position, or readily disconnected when with a plane surface 15e sloping inwardly not desired for use. toward the axis of the bolt at an angle of It is another object of the invention to proabout to said axis. The inner side of vide a cross chain comprising a plurality of portion 15 is formed as a flat surface ex- 20 strands extending transversely around a tire, tending at right angles to the axis of the bolt 70 alined links in the respective strands being and the .bolt extends from this surface with connected by rigid bars secured thereto and a uniform diameter to its end, thesame havextending longitudinally of the tire, said ing the usual threaded portion 15. A nut strands having plates at their ends readily 16 is provided for the bolt, illustrated as of attachable and detachable from the rim bolt hexagon shape, the same having an inter- 75r passing throughthe felloe of the wheel. mediate cylindrical ortion 16a of reduced These and other objects and advantages of diameter. A plate 1 is provided, having a the invention will be fully set forth in the general rectangular form, having one end following description made in connection portion 17a substantially fiat and the other 3 with the accompanying drawings, in which and longer portion 17b curved outwardly at 80 like reference characters refer to similar an angle to portion 17a as shown in Fig. 1. parts throughout th'e several views and in The portion 17a is provided with a rectanwhich gular slot 17 of a size to pass freely over the Fig. 1 is a radial section through the wheel head 15, said, slot having a width slightly and tire, showing the cross chain applied greater than the diameter of portion 15b of 85 thereto; bolt 15. The plate 17 has an opening 17d Fig. 2 is a partial view in side elevation of adjacent one end into which are linked the the wheel showing the cross chain in said end links 18a of a pair of cross chains 18, said elevation; chains being illustrated as formed of twisted Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the links. While the number of the strands of 90 rim bolt used; chain 18 may be varied, in the embodiment of Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of the the invention illustrated, two are shown and plate at one end of the chain; v these strands or separate chains have some of 4 Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of the their alined links connected by rigid rods 19 plate used at the other end of the chain; and having their ends bent tightly around the 95 Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on line outer sides of said alined links as shown in 6-6 of Fig. 5 as indicated by the arrows. Fig. 2 to prevent chains 18 from turning so Referring to the drawings, a portion of that the plane of the links intersects the tire. the wheel such as now commonly used in an The chains 18 have the end links 18b at the automobile', is shown, comprising the spokes ends opposite links 18a hooked through an opening 20a in a plate 20, which plate is of general rectangular form and has a curved portion at its end connected to the chain 18 and a straight flat portion 20" at its free end. The plate 20 also has an opening 20 disposed mostly in portion 20h, which opening is largely of circular shape, but has a semicircular extension at its lower or outer end. The plate 2() has pivoted thereto a small lever 21 having the central portion 21a bent inwardly substantially at right angles and being of a width to substantially lit in the upper end of opening 20". The lever 21 has a downwardly projecting handle portion 21h. Said lever 21 is pivoted on a pivot 22 illustrated as riveted to plate 20 and a coiled spring 23 surrounds pivot- 22, bearing at one end against lever 21 and at its other end against the head of pivot 22, said spring thus urging said lever towards plate 20.

In operation the bolts 15 will be used instead of the standard rim clamping bolts and placed through felloe 11. It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the fiat portion 15e on bolt 15 will be disposed beneath the rim plate 12 so that bolt 15 will be held from rotation. When the chain is to be applied, plate 17 will be engaged with the bolt by alining slots 17c with the head 15a and then turning said plate so that its longitudinal center line is at right angles to the longitudinal center line of head 15a. The plate then cannot be moved off the bolt. The chain is then passed around the tire as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the plate 20 engaged with nuts 16 by having the opening 20c passed over the outer end of said nut, lever 21 at this time being swung to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2. After plate 20 has thus been moved over nut 16, it is pulled upwardly slightly so that the semlcylindrical extension of opening 20 engages with the reduced portion 16EL of nut 16 as shown in Fig. 2. Lever 21 is now swung down to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5, lug 21a'snapping into the opening 20 c by the pressure of spring 23 thus largely closing said opening and preventing plate 20 from moving downwardly where it could be disengaged. It will be seen that in this posltion the lower flat side of lug 21a lies adjacent one fiat side of the nut 16 and said nut is thus kept from turning on said bolt. The chain is thus now firmly locked in position on the bolt 15 and cannot be removed without moving the lever 21. This lever is locked in position by lug 21*L engaging an opening 2 0c and held therein by spring 23. The chains 18 will eifectively act to secure good traction on muddy and slippery surfaces and will also act to prevent skidding of the car. 'Ihe rods 19 hold the chains in separated position so that a large traction surface is obtained.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a veryv simple and efficient anti-skid or traction device and one which can be very easily and quickly applied to the wheel or removed therefrom. The device comprises comparatively few parts and is simple andrugged in construction. The same has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful and eflicient.

It will, of c ourse, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

1. In a tread chain device of the class described, the combination of a bolt extending through the felloe of a tire equipped wheel, said bolt being constructed and arranged at one end to be held from rotation, a nut threaded on the other end of said bolt and having a reduced intermediate portion, a plate adapted to be secured to a tread chain, said plate having an aperture therethrough with a reduced portion at one end, said aperture being of a size to pass over said nut and said reduced portion being adapted to engage in said reduced intermediate portion of said nut, a member pivoted to said plate and having a portion adapted to move into said aperture when said plate is engaged over said nut and be disposed to engage one side of said nut and prevent rotation thereof.

2. In a tread chain device of the class described, the combination of a bolt extending through the felloe of a tire equipped wheel having means at one end constructed and arranged to prevent rotation of said bolt, a nut threaded on the other end of said bolt and having a reduced intermediate portion, a plate adapted to be secured to a tread chain, said plate having an aperture therethrough with a reduced portion at one end, said aperture being of a size to pass over said nut and said reduced portion being adapted to engage in said reduced intermediate portion of said nut, and a plate pivoted to said first mentioned plate having a flat lug struck up therefrom adapted to move into one end of said aperture and extend parallel to one side of sai-d nut, said plate having an integral portion extending at one end thereof to form a handle for swinging the same.

3. In a tread chain device of the class described, the combination, of a bolt extending through the felloe of a tire equipped wheel said bolt being constructed and arranged to be held from rotation, a nut threaded on the other end of said bolt and having a reduced intermediate portion, a plate adapted to be secured to a tread chain, said plate having an aperture therethrough with a reduced portion at one end, said aperture being of a size Lumen 3 to pass over said nut and said reduced portion being adapted to engage in said reduced intermediate portion of said nut, and a member pivoted to said plate at the side of said aperture opposite the reduced portion of said aperture,'sa1d member having a straight portion projecting toward said plate and adased to move into said aperture and be posed adjacent one side of s lid nutto prevent rotation thereof, and r silient means urging said member toward said plate to hold said-projecting portion of said member in said aperture.

In testimony whereof I aiiix m si ature. AUGUST FR 

